Magic Face Tough Road Stretch: Key Factors for Success on Upcoming Trip

The Orlando Magic have a tough schedule ahead of them as they embark on a two week long road trip starting on Monday. While their first game is in Miami, they travel to the west coast for the remaining five games. On the road against Western Conference teams, Orlando is 2-4 this season.

The Magic are coming off a thrilling victory against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, where stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner both dropped 32 points. This snapped a five game losing streak for the club, and they’re looking to come home from their trip with a winning record. This will be a tall task, as they face four teams who have already bested them this year.

For the Magic to come away with a successful trip, they must key in on three aspects of play that have defined them all season.

Connect from behind the three point line

Orlando’s field goal percentage of 43.9% is the third worst in the entire league, with only the lowly Hornets and Wizards being below them. However, their three-point percentage this season is a poultry 30.5%, the worst in basketball. To put this into perspective, this would rank as the second worst percentage for a team since 2010. The only team lower, the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats, won a total of seven games on the season.

Speaking after a poor outing in Boston, Magic guard Cole Anthony said, “It’s going to be hard to win games as a team, especially when we’re shooting 15% from the three-point line.”

(Ansley White / FL Teams)

In their game against the Pistons, the Magic shot a season-high 45.5% from behind the arc. This shows signs of improvement, but is also an anomaly this year. In their eight games with Banchero back, the team has shot 28.8% from deep.

Despite being dead last in percentage, the Magic still shoot more threes than 13 clubs. On their trip, they face two top ten offenses in Denver and Sacramento. If they want to come out on top, they must take high-percentage attempts instead of forcing these shots.

Defend and score points in the paint

(Christie Richmond / FL Teams)

This Magic team is known for their incredible big play from guys like Banchero, Goga Bitadze, and Moe Wagner, with Wendell Carter Jr. and Jonathan Isaac rounding out the position. Each of these players have missed time this season, with Banchero, Wagner, and Carter Jr. each missing at least a month of time. 

Of these injuries, arguably none of these absences have been felt as much as that of Bitadze. The team’s starting center has missed the last six games with a combination of injuries. His back injury, right hip contusion, and concussion have held him out of these contests. In these games without him, the team has gone 1-5.

Bitadze’s worth to the team has been shown, especially with his interior scoring and interior defense. With him, Orlando averaged 46.3 points in the paint while only allowing 44.7, good for the fourth best in the NBA. In those games without him, they are averaging 38.3 points while giving up 51.3. Going from a +1.6 to a -13 is a stark difference.

Speaking about the play of Bitadze earlier in the season, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said, “He’s a great rim protector and does a great job in the pick and roll. He’s a facilitator on offense, getting guys in position in places on the floor.”

(Ansley White / FL Teams)

Bitadze was upgraded to questionable before Saturday’s matchup, but did not suit up. With his return being on the horizon, they’re going to need him and the bigs to attack inside during their trip. The Nuggets, Kings, Trail Blazers, and Heat rank ahead of them on the season in interior scoring, and they must address this issue to have a chance.

Keep opponent scoring to a minimum

Orlando’s 103.8 points per game rank last in the league. Yet, they don’t need to score all that much with their league-best 104.3 points allowed per game. 

Luckily for the Magic, they face four of the 12 worst offenses on the road. Utah, Golden State, Miami, and Portland all rank near the bottom of the league in points per game. They also face four of the bottom ten defenses in points per game with the Jazz, Nuggets, Trail Blazers, and Kings.

(Matt Brady / FL Teams)

In games where the Magic score 100+ points, they are 21-7 on the year. They are also 14-1 in games where their opponent scores 100 points or less, with their only loss coming at home against the Heat.

Winning during this six-game stretch will all come down to the play of their defense. If they’re able to get Bitadze back in the lineup as well as Jalen Suggs, who suffered a left quad contusion on Saturday, both needs will be met. With three and d players like Suggs, Isaac, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Anthony Black in the lineup, they could come away with a winning record when they return back to the Kia Center. 

Orlando’s first test during the trip comes against the Heat on Monday night. The shorthanded Heat, who have been without star forward Jimmy Butler the last two games, look to make it two straight wins against their in-state rival.

Tip-off against the Heat is at 7:30 PM on Jan. 27.

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